Although the noise surrounding a potential exit from Arsenal for Kieran Tierney has somewhat dropped, this has not prevented the club from working on what will come after the Scottish international. Tierney has been mooted with a potential exit for some time.
Oleksandr Zinchenko's arrival in the summer immediately put the pressure on Tierney and from the first match of the Premier League season, he found himself on the bench. The Ukrainian became Mikel Arteta’s first choice in the role and Tierney had to feed off substitute appearances and rotation in the Europa League.
Even when Zinchenko was injured, the Arsenal boss instead favoured both Takehiro Tomiyasu and at the end of the season even Jakub Kiwior was used in the role. That said, a potential move to the likes of Newcastle United and Aston Villa, which has been reported, remains off the cards for the moment.
Tierney is expected to return to training soon, with those who did not participate in international football already back at London Colney this week. One of those back at the complex already is Lino Sousa.
The 18-year-old arrived from West Bromwich Albion in January of last year. It was a window that drew plenty of criticism for how inactive the club were in a winter period in which they lost Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
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Sousa was initially brought into the Under-18s but very quickly stepped up to the Under-21s where he has stayed. He is a regular inclusion in senior training and ahead of the 2023/24 season this is no different with the full-back in and amongst the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Ben White again.
His style is certainly that which Mikel Arteta likes in a player, who can offer something both internally and out wide. Sousa represents a number of players coming through the youth side with chances to stake their claim in the preseason.
Reuell Walters, Amario Cozier-Duberry, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are all pushing for inclusions but Tierney’s exit could make the pathway for Sousa more clear. He offers different traits to Tomiyasu and Kiwior and so could take the form of a depth option.
With the start of the League Cup, should the Gunners earn a favourable draw once involved, perhaps a chance for Sousa will come for the first time in a competitive sense. It would be a major financial benefit not to need to dip into the market to replace the Scotsman, and Edu will be hoping funds can be allocated elsewhere.
